SenSory Friendly
Programming
For PeoPle with
Social & cognitive
diSabilitieS
20
13
spring
A guide for performing Arts settings
Part I: IntroductIon | 1
T
T
Part I: Purpose of this guide
People with sensory, social, and learning disabilities
have the capacity to participate in a range of community
activities when provided the opportunity and appropriate
supports. When individuals with these disabilities
participate in the community, the benefits include greater
community, civic, and social participation as a person
transitions from childhood into adulthood with the
potential of creating a long-standing patron.
Sensory, social, and learning disabilities tend to be
invisible to the observer, and are sometimes called
“hidden disabilities.” Society often has expectations
for how people ought to behave in certain settings.
When people with hidden disabilities act differently
in a social situation, they are at risk for not being
welcomed in community or public places. With this in
mind, program adaptations can provide creative and
innovative expansions of your accessibility program.
These adaptations create a welcoming environment for
persons with sensory, social, and learning needs.
This guidebook is intended to help you identify the
qualities and resources to consider when creating a
relaxed and friendly theater experience for persons with
sensory, social, and learning disabilities. The guidebook
offers options and is a starting point for implementing
sensory friendly performances recognizing theaters
have different sizes, capacities, and commercial or
non-commercial needs. Performing arts organizations
may be at different stages of sensory friendly program
development. Therefore, not all of the suggestions in this
guidebook may work for every organization. However, the
suggestions provide a place to begin evaluating the needs,
opportunities, facilitators, and barriers in developing access
for persons with sensory, social, and learning disabilities.
What are sensory friendly inclusive
performing arts opportunities?
A sensory friendly performance is a family experience
fostering attendance and meaningful experiences at
performing arts venues. A sensory friendly performance
may involve adapting the house rules for a particular
performance, adapting the audience environment,
creating alternative ticketing and seating arrangements,
as well as pre-theater preparatory activities for the person
with a sensory, social, or learning disability so the person
begins to understand and anticipate what might happen at
a performing arts experience. The term “sensory friendly”
is a common term for events and experiences at theaters
and museums. This is the term used for this guidebook.
However, some of the examples and options offered in this
guidebook often extend beyond the sensory experience.
from the stage through the lobby
This guidebook is not advocating that an established or
existing performance, script, or stage design be changed.
Although there are some theaters that may choose to
do so. Programming for persons with sensory, social
and learning needs can include special performances
as well as adaptations to the environment or structure
of the theater experience that are useful for all patrons.
Environmental adaptations emphasized for sensory
friendly performances frequently occur from the edge of
the stage where the audience begins to the lobby and front
of the house. Adaptations can be implemented in specially
scheduled performances or included to varying degrees
into the regular performance schedule.
A sensory friendly performance is a
family experience fostering attendance
and meaningful experiences at
performing arts venues.
Part I: PurPose | 3
Part II: Individuals Who benefit from sensory friendly
Performing arts opportunities
The experience of attending a performing arts venue
typically requires an ability to communicate effectively
with personnel and other audience members and follow
social conventions for expected behaviors, such as sitting
in one’s seat and clapping or laughing at appropriate
times during the performance. Cognitive skills are used
to attend to, understand, and appreciate the performance.
Thus, people with learning, sensory, and social disabilities
may have difficulty attending a performing arts
production without support.
Learning, sensory, and social disabilities are frequently
seen in people with a variety of conditions such as autism
spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorders, or traumatic brain injuries.
Individuals with these disabilities may interact with others
in unusual or different ways and have repetitive behaviors
that might be perceived by other patrons as disruptive.
These repetitive behaviors can include twirling in circles,
or flapping arms while jumping up and down. Difficulties
with change and transitions are often common.
Many individuals with these conditions may respond to
sensory information in their environment in unusual
ways. Sometimes, people are overly sensitive to sensory
information such as lights, sounds, smells, or touch.
Some of these individuals do not particularly like
sensory information; consequently they want to control
the amount of information they perceive. They prefer
predictability and benefit from knowing the expectations.
Alternatively, they may look for opportunities to increase
sensory stimulation, such as touching everything within
reach, stomping their feet while walking or purposefully
bumping into objects. Or some individuals may have a
minimal response to sensory information.
Cognitive and attention disabilities may also be associated
with these conditions. For example, people may have
difficulty understanding emotions represented on stage
or following the sequence of events in the performance.
Their emotional reactions may not be consistent with
the message in the performance or they may have an
emotional reaction to something in the venue that is less
obvious to other patrons. With all of these conditions,
symptoms and behaviors can vary widely.
P eople with learning,
sensory, and social
disabilities may have
difficulty attending a
performing arts production
without support.
Part II: WHo benefIts | 4
HoW MIgHt socIal and cognItIVe dIsabIlItIes ManIfest tHeMselVes In a
PerforMIng arts settIng?
social and cognitive disabilities
Manifestation in Performing arts setting
difficulty understanding others’ desires and needs
• may not realize their own behavior has potential to impact the theater
experience for others in the audience.
difficulty understanding and showing emotion
• may react to emotional content of performance differently than rest of
audience. for example, the person may laugh at a sad moment during the
production.
Limited eye contact, few hand and body gestures, and
limited facial expression
• may show enjoyment of theater experience in different ways. for example,
he or she may not clap or smile in appreciation.
Limited imaginative or symbolic thinking
• may not understand abstract or symbolic content in performance.
repetitive speech patterns
• may repetitively utter a phrase, hum, or make noises during a performance.
repetitive movement patterns
• may frequently move or repetitively move body or arms and hands during
a performance. may have a desire to pace or move freely during the
performance.
repetitive use of objects
• may be holding or fidgeting with an object during the performance.
rigidity in following routines
• may be reactive if there is a change to what he or she expected from the
theater experience.
difficulty with transitions and change
• may show disruptive behaviors during unstructured and transitions times,
such as entering and leaving the theater or intermissions.
fixated interests that may be highly specialized and
developed
• may express interest or react to content in performance at unexpected
times. fixated interest may be disruptive to other theater goers if the person
is repeatedly talking about the object of interest or unable to move away
from the fixated interest.
• in the tactile (touch) domain, he or she may avoid being touched or being
near others in crowds.
• in the auditory domain, a person may be reactive to noises of a particular
type (not necessarily just loud).
overly sensitive to sensory information
• in the vestibular (movement) domain, a person may not like the sensation of
escalators or elevators.
• in the visual domain, an individual may be overwhelmed by bright lights.
• in the olfactory domain, an individual may find particular smells aversive.
• people with over-responsive patterns of sensory processing may be easily
overwhelmed or quickly experience discomfort if an environment is highly
stimulating.
Limited response to sensory information
• may not be attending to entire performance or respond to others. does
not respond to his/her name or appears to not hear you at times. Appears
unaware of other members of the group.
• in the proprioceptive (body awareness) domain, the person might seek
heavy pressure proprioceptive stimuli by stomping their feet while walking,
purposefully bumping into objects or moving around during a performance.
seeks out sensory experiences
• in the vestibular (movement) domain, the person might crave movement
during the performance.
• in the tactile (touch) domain, an individual might seek intense touch
pressure, or touch everything within his or her reach.
More information about these conditions is available from the resources at the end of this guide.
Part II: WHo benefIts
| 5
Part III: Knowledgeable advisors Who can Help in
creating sensory friendly Programming
Individuals with disabilities and their
families
S
It is important to include the perspectives of family
members and individuals with disabilities in your
accessibility efforts. They can be helpful in providing their
insights and feedback on materials and resources that you
have developed, evaluating new shows or exhibits, and
by being a part of your advisory committee or a focus
group. This information will enable you to gain an insider
perspective, help shape public experiences, and allow
them an opportunity to share their skills and expertise.
occupational therapists
Occupational Therapists help people of all different ages
participate in the daily activities that are important to
them. For a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, this
might include an activity such as enjoying a family outing
to the theater. Occupational Therapists have a background
in biological and behavioral sciences and think carefully
about creating a good fit between the person and the
environment to optimize the person’s ability to function in
everyday life. In helping create a sensory friendly theater
experience, an Occupational Therapist could:
• Analyze environmental factors that affect children
who have highly sensitive sensory systems and make
suggestions for modifying these factors (e.g., lighting,
sound, space needs).
• Offer suggestions of objects and strategies that can be
calming or sound attenuating (i.e. fidgets, ear phones,
movement).
• Create pre-visit stories, visual schedules, and
training materials to help prepare the child for
going to the theater.
Part III: KnoWledgeable adVIsors | 6
Part IV: Pre-Visit strategies and Materials to create a
Meaningful experience
Priming
Pre-Visit stories/social storiestM
Priming is a method of presenting information about
a situation prior to the event in order to prepare for
participation in a task within the situation. Priming
activities are often a short presentation of information
either through written, visual, auditory, or video format
to help people prepare for and predict future events
(Koegel et al., 2003; Schriebman, Whalen & Stahmer,
2000). Encouraging persons to explore the theater’s online
resources and photo galleries may be useful in preparing
for a visit.
Social StoriesTM are trademarked by Carol Gray (The Gray
Center, 2012). Similar to picture schedules or priming, a
social story is a short written story that shows information
about a social situation. The story can describe specific
information about an activity, situation and event, or
convey information about behavioral expectations often
associated with the social situation.
Picture schedules
A picture schedule is a visual communication tool
using drawings or photographs to convey a sequenced
order of events or situations. Picture schedules increase
predictability and help the person anticipate events, time,
space, or activities (Lequia, Machalicek & Rispoli, 2012).
Picture schedules support communication between
people, and are not intended to replace direct verbal
communication.
Social stories can be individualized to a person or a
particular situation such as describing information about
where and when a person should go to the restroom.
Social stories provide readers with a description of the
expectations before an activity occurs.
Research documents the effectiveness of social stories
for children and youth on the autism spectrum (Kokina
& Kern, 2010). For this population, social stories have
been effective in helping with structuring and completing
homework, decreasing inappropriate and undesirable
behaviors, improving appropriate play, social interactions,
and participation in desired activities.
“
box office window
theater usher
ticket scanner
Example: A picture schedule can convey the sequence of activities
such as obtaining tickets from the box office, entering the lobby/
theater, finding a seat, to the beginning of the show.
Part IV: MeanIngful tHeater exPerIence | 7
“Meet Your seat”
S
Prior to the performance, invite families and children
with disabilities to come in advance to “Meet Your Seat”.
This priming strategy enables families to prepare their
children for the venue, the actual theater, and the seating.
Being in the space ahead of the performance allows
families to determine the best place to sit to optimize a
successful experience for their child and the entire family.
environmental Mapping
Designating where everything is located in advance
for families attending a performance can eliminate the
stressors of getting to the theater, parking, anticipating the
layout of the theater, or finding the bathrooms.
• Create a tip sheet on the path to the performance
and what will be encountered if coming from
the parking area or arriving by other forms of
transportation. Include directions for getting to
the lobby of the theater.
• Let families know where the bathrooms are located,
the water fountain, and any exits.
• Identify a quiet space where people can go to get away
from the crowd or noise.
• Make sure that “escape” routes are explicit so people
can exit easily with the least disruption.
Sample: Theater Sensory Map Prior to the performance invite families
and children with disabilities to come in
advance to “Meet Your Seat”.
Part IV: MeanIngful tHeater exPerIence | 8
Part V: considerations specific to theaters
Before setting up your sensory friendly performances,
determine what features will make the environment more
welcoming to families, how to make information available
to the public, and when to train the staff.
S
selecting and scheduling Performances
Selecting the show involves considerations such as the length
of the performance, the content of the show, and the date or
time of the show. The age and functional level of the audience
will influence the decisions about which show to make
sensory friendly. Children with basic abilities or younger
children may gain more benefit from a show with simpler
content, whereas, children with more advanced abilities or
older children may gain more benefit from a more complex
show. Considerations should be given to the families ability
to travel to the show. An early morning show may be
challenging if children have difficulty or need additional time
to adjust to community travel.
Intermission
For some patrons, removing an intermission may help by
eliminating difficult transitions or disruptions whereas
for others, an intermission may provide a needed break
for people who need to move around or unable to sustain
attention for extended periods of time.
A community advisory board made up of families and
knowledgable advisors can assist with the particular issues
and challenges with length, scheduling, intermission, and
content of the show.
House rules
Consider the “traditional” theater rules and determine
which can be relaxed to provide a more welcoming
experiences for families at sensory friendly performances:
• Can a patron sit or stand in the aisle?
• If the performance includes music, can a patron get up
and dance to the rhythm?
• Other than the aisle, are there other spaces where a
patron can walk around if movement is needed? If so,
designate where in the program or on a venue map.
• Are patrons permitted to enter and exit the theater as
they need to throughout the performance?
Part V: consIderatIons sPecIfIc to tHeaters | 9
Refund Policies
• Identify any unpredictable lighting surprises such as
strobes, lightning bolts, etc. Develop a means to notify
the audience of these lights during the performance,
such as using a visual indicator like a glow stick, so
patrons can use their own sensory behavior strategies.
Some patrons may hesitate to attend a show if they think
they will have to leave the performance early and forfeit
the fee. Consider how your refund policy may impact
families attending these performances and determine
in advance whether your organization will make any
exceptions for sensory friendly performances.
• Keep house lights up or slightly raised to avoid total
darkness. If this is not an option, provide parent with
small pen light so they can exit more easily if needed.
environmental Modifications
Quiet Spaces
Modifications to the audience experience of sound and
light in the theater, to the extent possible, can make the
experience more successful for persons with sensory,
social, and learning disabilities. Meet with the production
and artistic staff including stage managers, lighting, and
sound crew to discuss potential modifications. If the
performance is interactive, consider how that can be
managed so as not to overwhelm or startle the audience.
Whenever possible, include information about sound and
lighting in your pre-visit materials. Consider “rehearsing”
these sounds and lights with the audience prior to the
start of the performance.
Identify quiet spaces within the theater complex
where families can take a break during the performance
if needed.
Sound
• Work with the sound engineer to keep sounds at a
consistent level.
• Identify any unpredictable loud sounds such as
thunder clap, cymbal, door slams, etc. Develop a
means to notify the audience of these sounds during
the performance, such as using a visual indicator like
a glow stick, so patrons can use their own sensory
behavior strategies.
staff training
Staff training is a crucial component of an accessibility
program. Staff may encounter persons with a social or
learning disability and not realize a different approach to
communication and interaction may be warranted.
Staff training may include:
• General knowledge about people with an autism,
intellectual disability, and other social cognitive
disorders including the common behavioral,
communication, and social challenges.
• Knowledge of basic communication and interaction
strategies with people with social and learning
disabilities, and their families.
• Knowledge of modifications and adaptations to
support sensory friendly programming.
• Value for inclusive performing arts experiences for all
persons regardless of ability level.
Be sure to train all staff and volunteers who interact
with patrons. People with social, learning, and cognitive
disabilities will come to performances other than those
your organization has designated as sensory friendly and
your staff should be prepared to make them feel welcome.
Evaluate the effectiveness of your training and repeat and
reinforce as needed.
Lighting
• Work with the lighting engineer or designer to
minimize strobe or flashing lights.
Part V: consIderatIons sPecIfIc to tHeaters | 10
• Seat cushions can be used to help people feel more
“secure” by providing greater support in one’s seat.
In addition to providing height, seat cushions that
provide side support and a snug fit are useful for
people who have challenges with balance. Theaters
that utilize bench seats should consider stadium
cushions that provide back support.
Performing artist Preparations
The performers may have varying exposure to audiences
with social and learning disabilities. Prior to a sensory
friendly event, performers should be informed that the
audience behavior may be different than expected.
Explain the adaptations to the audience house rules, and
the potential for environmental modifications such as
lighting and noise. The performers may have suggestions
related to environmental modifications and other nontypical protocols that can be included during a sensory
friendly performance.
Performers may want to have opportunities for direct
audience interaction either prior, during or after the
show. Pre- or post- show meet and greets with performers
could be beneficial for both the performers and audience.
These interactions can prime audience members prior to
the show, or reinforce learning during or following the
show. These can be wonderfully meaningful and positive
interactions to decrease anxiety or increase interest in
performing arts experiences for the person with social
and learning disabilities. Interactive performances
involving participation from the audience either from
their seats or being invited on the stage may require
thoughtful reflection on how to introduce these moments
to the audience.
Photo credit: R. Ideishi
• Manipulatives are objects that people often hold to
keep their hands busy while attending to something
else. Manipulatives can increase one’s ability to
maintain focus and attention during performances.
These may include items such as crayons with coloring
books/doodle pads, pocket-size Etch-A-Sketch®, small
hand held objects for fidgeting, or small sensory
boards that contain various textures to touch.
during the show strategies
The following is a list of sensory tools that may be used by
people who experience high sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
• Earplugs decrease overall volume for people who are
sensitive to loud noises.
• Headphones are helpful for those people who are
sensitive to excessive noise. Headphones may be
used to tone down sound, or when paired with
performer’s microphone via a theater’s assistive
listening system, headphones can help people to
better focus and attend to a performance by blocking
extraneous background noise.
Photo credit: R. Ideishi
Part V: consIderatIons sPecIfIc to tHeaters | 11
C
Utilize resources in your local area to spread the word:
• Connect with special education schools or your local
school district’s special education office to find parent
listservs, newsletters, email lists, etc.
• Contact local chapters of organizations that focus on
specific issues such as autism or intellectual disabilities
for newsletters and emails lists for local families.
If you are partnering with a school or another
organization for training and support, highlight the
partnership on website marketing materials. Many
families will trust known organizations that serve their
needs or interests, and the friendly welcoming culture that
may be associated with the known organization.
Promotions and advertising
should reflect sensory friendly
programs are welcoming of
family and friends.
Part V: consIderatIons sPecIfIc to tHeaters | 12
Part VI: Program evaluation
Finally, we need to acknowledge the importance of
evaluating these accessibility and inclusion initiatives.
This is another area where professionals and researchers
can provide input and expertise. Collaboration between
academic/professional researchers and cultural
institutions’ research and evaluation team should be
formed, if possible.
The evaluation measures should be appropriate to the
needs of the organization and families. Outcomes, such
as social engagement, might be defined, observed and
measured differently for people with learning and social
disabilities. Careful attention should be paid to what is a
meaningful outcome for a person with learning or social
disabilities, a family, and an organization. Persons with
disabilities, families and organizations may define success
differently. For example,
The evaluations should seek information from multiple
perspectives including the family, the organization’s staff
(e.g. education staff, usher and visitor services, ticketing),
and teachers from a school group.
guiding questions or issues to consider
The areas you may want to assess in your evaluation might
include:
1. What worked well in past theater experiences?
2. What did not work well in past theater experiences?
3. What was the impact of the pre-visit strategies on the
audience?
4. What was the impact of the environmental
modifications on the audience?
• Social engagement from an organization’s perspective
might be the frequency of attendance at theater
events.
5. Were there any changes to the organization’s staff
knowledge and behaviors following staff training and
sensory friendly experiences?
• Social engagement for a person with a learning or
social challenge might be the ability to hand the ticket
to the usher staff.
6. What were the reasons for participating in modified
performing arts experiences?
Evaluations can focus on the process of creating sensory
friendly theater experiences and/or the outcomes of these
experiences.
7. What was the response of other audience members
to any modifications in the experience (e.g., lights,
sound, intermission, alternative seating plans)?
• Process evaluation provides information about
the program development and implementation of
a process or program. A process evaluation might
include a family review of materials and program
plans, or survey of the organizational staff or
administrators related to the potential impacts of the
program.
• Outcome evaluation is intended to determine
whether a program met its goals. An outcome
evaluation might include family’s feedback of
their experience following the sensory friendly
performance to determine is the theater experience
was successful. The questions can focus on general
satisfaction or specific accommodations the
organization is interested in such as whether
blocked or staggered seating was preferable.
Part VI: PrograM eValuatIon | 13
Quick checklist for Preparing a sensory friendly Performance
to do list:
√
suggested timeline:
engage appropriate colleagues in a conversation about the feasibility of
developing sensory friendly performances.
select the production that will feature sensory friendly performance(s)
and date/time
Create sensory friendly advisory group
As far in advance as possible
identify alternative ticketing process, if needed
Consider whether a subscription series will be offered
discuss marketing plan and determine how patrons will identify
performances that are sensory friendly through your website and
in-print materials
Convene an advisory group to develop plan and tasks for a sensory
friendly performance (e.g. which materials to create, seating plan,
training, and preview dates)
4 months prior to show
Continue advertising and marketing of performance
3 months prior to show
(and on-going)
identify needs, potential outcomes, and creation of evaluation content
and process
2 months prior to show
Create preparation materials
2 months prior to show
preview the performance show production (discuss performance and
house modifications with crew and staff)
Within 2-3 weeks prior to show
discuss performer preparations and potential performance rehearsal
with modifications
Within 2 weeks prior to show
disseminate preparation materials to families, teachers, or schools
2 weeks prior to show
offer family pre-visit theater opportunities (e.g., Meet Your Seat)
1-2 weeks prior to show
disseminate and collect pre-evaluation data (online or paper
evaluations)
Approx. 2 weeks prior to show
provide house staff, box office, and security staff education about the
show and house modifications and, knowledge of individuals with
sensory, cognitive, and learning disabilities
1 week prior to show or day
of show
Sensory Friendly Performance
day of show
disseminate and collect post-evaluation data
2 weeks following the day
of show
review and follow up discussion
subsequent to show and
evaluation analysis
Ch
Part VII: resource organizations
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
4720 Montgomery Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-2682; TDD: (800) 377-8555
www.aota.org
National Association of Special Education Teachers
1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 200
Washington D.C. 20036
(800) 754-4421 (voice/relay)
www.naset.org
Autism Society
4340 East-West Hwy, Suite 350
Bethesda, MD 20814
(800) 328-8476 (voice/relay)
www.autism-society.org
National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities (NICHCY)
1825 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009
(800) 695-0285 (voice/relay/TTY)
(202) 884-8200 (voice/relay/TTY)
[email protected]
www.nichcy.org
Autism Speaks
1 East 33rd Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 252-8584 (voice/relay)
Family Services Autism Response Team (ART)
members are specially trained to connect families
with information, resources and opportunities.
(888) 288-4762 (voice/relay)
(888) 772-9050 (En Español)
[email protected]
www.autismspeaks.org
The Arc
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 534-3710 (voice/relay)
(800) 433-5255 (voice/relay)
www.thearc.org
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 150
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070 (voice/relay)
www.chadd.org
Part VII: resources | 15
R
Dunn,W. (2008). A sensory-processing approach to supporting students with autism spectrum disorders. In R. L.
Simpson & B. S. Myles (Eds.), Educating children and youth with autism, 2nd edition (pp. 299–356). Austin, TX:
Pro-Ed.
Gray, C. (2004). Social Stories™, 10.0. Jenison Autism Journal, 15(4), 1–28.
Koegel, L. K., Koegel, R. L., Frea, W., & Green-Hopkins, I. (2003). Priming as a method of coordinating educational
services for students with autism. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34, 228-235.
acknowledgements
Kokina, A., & Kern, L. (2010). Social Story TM interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder:
A meta-analysis. Journal of Autism Developmental Disabilities, 40, 812–826.
Lequia, J., Machalicek, W., & Rispoli, M. J. (2012). Effects of activity schedules on challenging behavior exhibited in
children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder, 6, 480-492.
Reich, C., Price, J., Rubin, E., & Steiner, M. (2010). Inclusion, disabilities, and informal science learning: A CAISE inquiry
group report. Washington, DC: Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE).
Schreibman, L., Whalen, C., & Stahmer, A. C. (2000). The use of video priming to reduce disruptive transition behavior
in children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2, 3-11.
acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the following reviewers for their
feedback in the development of this guidebook:
Michael J. Bobbitt, Adventure Theatre MTC, Glen Echo, MD
Lisa Carling, Theatre Development Fund, New York, NY
Jonna Clark, Ivymount School, Rockville, MD
Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ
Christa Fratantoro, F.A. Davis Co, Philadelphia, PA
Tracy Jirikowic, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Charles Marz, Wayland Group, Sudbury, MA
Deirdre B. Phillips, Autism Consortium, Boston, MA
Thomas Quinn, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Alyssa Reiter, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA
Joshua P. Taylor, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, VA
Linn Wakeford, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Molly Whalen, Parent, Washington, DC
R
Authors:
Roger I. Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA
Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
University of the Sciences, Samson College of Health Sciences, Philadelphia, PA
Ellen S. Cohn, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Clinical Professor and MSOT Program Director, Dept. of Occupational Therapy
Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston, MA
Gael I. Orsmond, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston, MA
Jan Wintrol, MA
Director
The Ivymount School & Programs, Rockville, MD
Molly L. Whalen
Director of Development & Communications
The Ivymount School & Programs, Rockville, MD
Sharon Nickolaus, MS, OTR/L
Coordinator of OT/PT Services
The Ivymount School & Programs, Rockville, MD
Jessica Swanson
Manager, Accessibility
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Betty Siegel
Director of VSA and Accessibility
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Designer: Christina Smith
Photographer: Scott Suchman
Funding for the Kennedy Center’s Accessibility Initiatives is provided by
Mike and Julie Connors and the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.
Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the
National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.
David R. Rubenstein, Chairman
Michael M. Kaiser, President
Darrell M. Ayers, Vice President, Education